Refunds on gifts

[philosoraptorgames]

I was denied a refund on a game I gave as a gift (the recipient wasn't interested in it) on the grounds that it had been purchased more than 14 days ago. This policy would make perfect sense on a game I had bought for myself, but it's a terrible policy on gifts. It had already been over 14 days *at the time the gift was received*!

You're making gifts all but non-refundable and actively punishing planning ahead. To me, the clock shouldn't start ticking until the gift is *accepted* in this type of case. That, or there should be some kind of window for trading the game.

I'm not gonna be all like "Thanks for ruining my holidays, Valve!" because honestly they were awesome in spite of this, but this is a huge disincentive to give Steam games as gifts, and accordingly, I for one will not be doing it again so long as this remains the policy.

[Bee🐝]

In the future, just tell the person not to accept the gift if they don’t want it.

Gifts automatically time-out if they’re not accepted within 30 days; the purchase is refunded in full.

Edit: Valve literally build the system to avoid these situations. Oh- and don’t buy gifts weeks or months before the actual delivery date if you’re not 100% sure if the person wants it.

[philosoraptorgames]

Publicado originalmente por Bee:

In the future, just tell the person not to accept the gift if they don’t want it.

Sometimes there's no way of knowing that up front.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

You can type that in the gift message that if they don't want it, either reject it or ignore it.

[philosoraptorgames]

Publicado originalmente por Bee:

Edit: Valve literally build the system to avoid these situations.

How so? Name a step they took to avoid them that would be even a tenth as effective as my suggestion. It seems to me the opposite is true, they haven't done anything to avoid them and have in some cases made them inevitable.

Oh- and don’t buy gifts weeks or months before the actual delivery date if you’re not 100% sure if the person wants it.

This just restates (part of) the problem. Why should planning ahead be actively punished?

I just want this to work like returning any other gift for Pete's sake. I'm amazed my suggestion isn't the way it works already. This shouldn't be a big ask.

[Spawn of Totoro]

Did you try a manual refund?

Help > Steam Support > Purchases > (Name of Game) > I have a question about this purchase.

Try explaining the issue there.

The "I would like a refund" option is automated and gets confused at times.

[Brian9824]

Publicado originalmente por philosoraptorgames:

Publicado originalmente por Bee:

Edit: Valve literally build the system to avoid these situations.

How so? Name a step they took to avoid them that would be even a tenth as effective as my suggestion. It seems to me the opposite is true, they haven't done anything to avoid them and have in some cases made them inevitable.

Oh- and don’t buy gifts weeks or months before the actual delivery date if you’re not 100% sure if the person wants it.

This just restates (part of) the problem. Why should planning ahead be actively punished?

I just want this to work like returning any other gift for Pete's sake. I'm amazed my suggestion isn't the way it works already. This shouldn't be a big ask.

It already does, if a store has a 14 day return period and you buy something and don't give it as a gift for a month you lose your ability to refund as its based on when you purchased the item,

How long EXACTLY did it elapse between you buying and your friend not wanting as a manual refund is possible

[ KARR™]

Publicado originalmente por brian9824:

It already does, if a store has a 14 day return period and you buy something and don't give it as a gift for a month you lose your ability to refund as its based on when you purchased the item,

Not a great analogy as most stores at Christmas have an extended returns window for this exact reason - they know people will buy things as gifts, but they won't get to the recipient for x number of days.

[no154370]

it is stated here below

Refunds on Gifts

Unredeemed gifts may be refunded within the standard 14-day/two-hour refund period. Redeemed gifts may be refunded under the same conditions if the gift recipient initiates the refund. Funds used to purchase the gift will be returned to the original purchaser.

from

https://store.steampowered.com/steam_refunds/

[Brian9824]

Publicado originalmente por  KARR™:

Publicado originalmente por brian9824:

It already does, if a store has a 14 day return period and you buy something and don't give it as a gift for a month you lose your ability to refund as its based on when you purchased the item,

Not a great analogy as most stores at Christmas have an extended returns window for this exact reason - they know people will buy things as gifts, but they won't get to the recipient for x number of days.

Gifts do occur at other times of the year aside from Christmas you know...Although even if you want to claim Christmas refund rules, all the stores would not allow a refund of a game that he redeemed and didn't like which occurred in this case irregardless if it was christmas or not.

So yes, its STILL better then the stores refund policy

[no154370]

Publicado originalmente por philosoraptorgames:

Publicado originalmente por Bee:

In the future, just tell the person not to accept the gift if they don’t want it.

Sometimes there's no way of knowing that up front.

your post here doesn't even make sense at all OP.

since the person who receive the gift from you is in your Friend List

then you should have done this

1) inform his friend through the Steam Chat from the Friend List there when you are going to gift him this item or that game in advance

if your friend stated reply back that he don't want it, then there isn't a need to buy at all in the end.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

the lack of communication between OP and his Friend is what causes the situation for OP.

all in all, it is OP's fault for failing to inform his friend by saying this through Steam Chat messaging

a) hi, i'm going to gift you a game/item as a Christmas Present.

[[N]ebsun]

Publicado originalmente por philosoraptorgames:

I was denied a refund on a game I gave as a gift (the recipient wasn't interested in it) on the grounds that it had been purchased more than 14 days ago. This policy would make perfect sense on a game I had bought for myself, but it's a terrible policy on gifts. It had already been over 14 days *at the time the gift was received*!

It is 14 days from the time of the transaction - as this is related to how Steam calculates how much to send to the seller. Once they have handed money over to the seller of the game, it is not really possible for them to get it back, so the time restriction needs to be based on that - which is why it is not going to be based on the time the gift was received.

[Brian9824]

Publicado originalmente por Nebsun:

Publicado originalmente por philosoraptorgames:

I was denied a refund on a game I gave as a gift (the recipient wasn't interested in it) on the grounds that it had been purchased more than 14 days ago. This policy would make perfect sense on a game I had bought for myself, but it's a terrible policy on gifts. It had already been over 14 days *at the time the gift was received*!

It is 14 days from the time of the transaction - as this is related to how Steam calculates how much to send to the seller. Once they have handed money over to the seller of the game, it is not really possible for them to get it back, so the time restriction needs to be based on that - which is why it is not going to be based on the time the gift was received.

If the gift recipient had denied the gift he would have also gotten a refund.

[no154370]

if OP never inform his friend about the Gift.

then how is his friend going to know in the FIRST PLACE.

also, there is a possibility that his friend got a biological brother who uses the Steam Account and just receive the gift without opening it at all.

and never inform the original owner of the Steam Account too.

^_^

[philosoraptorgames]

Publicado originalmente por no154370:

Publicado originalmente por philosoraptorgames:

Sometimes there's no way of knowing that up front.

your post here doesn't even make sense at all OP.

since the person who receive the gift from you is in your Friend List

then you should have done this

1) inform his friend through the Steam Chat from the Friend List there when you are going to gift him this item or that game in advance

if your friend stated reply back that he don't want it, then there isn't a need to buy at all in the end.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

the lack of communication between OP and his Friend is what causes the situation for OP.

all in all, it is OP's fault for failing to inform his friend by saying this through Steam Chat messaging

a) hi, i'm going to gift you a game/item as a Christmas Present.

Do you routinely tell people what you're getting them for Christmas weeks or months ahead of time? It's you who aren't making sense. It's like you don't even grasp the concept of a Christmas present.

[philosoraptorgames]

Publicado originalmente por Nebsun:

Publicado originalmente por philosoraptorgames:

I was denied a refund on a game I gave as a gift (the recipient wasn't interested in it) on the grounds that it had been purchased more than 14 days ago. This policy would make perfect sense on a game I had bought for myself, but it's a terrible policy on gifts. It had already been over 14 days *at the time the gift was received*!

It is 14 days from the time of the transaction - as this is related to how Steam calculates how much to send to the seller. Once they have handed money over to the seller of the game, it is not really possible for them to get it back, so the time restriction needs to be based on that - which is why it is not going to be based on the time the gift was received.

Thanks for at least giving an explanation. It still seems like an exception could be carved out for gifts but at least I understand now why this might not be quite as easily implemented as I'd imagined.